Immanuel - God With Us

Hey everyone, have a blessed Christmas!  Here is an older video from 2008 of a song some German friends did.  I love it - it really keeps my eyes focused on the real reason for Christmas.  The wood nativity set is Becks' - we had a tradition in Germany of getting a piece each Christmas, so you can tell we have had it a while.

Merry Christmas and Happy 2011!

Enjoy!

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Phamily Elf Charleston

And this one is of me and Becks cutting the rug...

Phamily Elf Disco

The boys and I did this one special for you all...

Bloody Hands

Have you ever had someone's blood on your hands?  I don't mean figuratively.  But literally? Take a look at the foto - that is someone else's blood drying on my hands!

Sunday afternoon, I was out for a run, had my headphones on and just cruising. When I'm jogging, I kinda tune out everything else except for my running music (Redman, Tomlin, Mainstay, Jeremy Camp, etc) - I don't notice nor acknowledge much unless it is to nod hello to another runner, or unless there is an emergency.

Well, that afternoon, there was such an 'emergency'.  As I was just getting into the run, I notice a car slam on its brakes right in the middle of the street.  The driver then jumps out shouting and waving his arms.  I couldn't quite make out what he was yelling about - my my earphones were still in.  At this point, I started thinking - ok, is this a drive-by shooting?!?!  Is there gonna be another car cruising by with a guy hanging out the passenger window with an Uzi - I seriously was ready to dive behind parked cars! (Ok, maybe one too many James Bond movie).

But there were no other cars on the street that lazy Sunday afternoon and the driver was gesturing wildly at the back seat of his car and still yelling.  My next thought - ok, his wife is having a baby!  And he wants me to deliver his baby!?!  (I seriously was thinking of Will Smith in Men In Black, when he had to deliver the alien baby - ok, I really gotta cut back on the movies!).   Anyways, the driver was still yelling frantically - at another person on the sidewalk ahead of me.  This person looks at the man, looks at the car in the middle of the street and keeps on walking!  So now, I am just about abreast of the car and the driver turns to me and yells - 'hey mate, help me mate, help me!'  He had a weird wild look on his face, so being the kind of guy I am (weird and wild), I hurried out into the street and up to the car, taking my earphones out.  That was when I heard and saw that there were two dogs in the back seat killing each other - literally!  Somehow, they both had each other by the neck under the chin, right where the jugular would be - their jaws were locked and they were growling.

And then I noticed all the blood - not from the dogs, but from the driver - a young man in his early twentys.  He obviously was driving along when the dogs began to fight in the back seat and he most likely reached back and tried to stop them and got a nasty bite on his forearm, and it was bleeding pretty badly, dripping blood all over the car, the dogs' heads and the street as he's waving the bloody arm about.  But he was still yelling frantically for me to help him break up the dogfight.  So he starts kneeling on one of the dogs, pounding it with his fist (not hard, but enough to try to get it to loosen its jaw).  All the while yelling at me to grab the other dog and pull him out of the car.  Yeah, right - with him bleeding from that nasty bite!

But I wasn't thinking - I was just riding high on adrenaline and jumped into the back seat and grabbed the other dog by the back of the neck with both hands and yanked as hard as I could, putting all my weight behind it.  But the dog wasn't letting go.  So we tried it a second time - the young man pounding on his dog and and yelling at it and me yanking with all my might (which isn't much normally, but hey, adrenaline does somethin' to ya) and yelling at my dog to stop!  And lo and behold, the dogs separated!  I yanked my dog out of the car, still holding him by the scruff of the neck, still pumped on adrenaline.  That was when I noticed what kind of dog it was - some kind of boxer mix, not pure-bred, but it had the muscular shoulders and jaws.  And that was when my knees went a little weak and it hit me that I could've been bitten pretty badly if this dog decided to turn on me, there in the back seat of some guy's car.

In any case, the guy yells at me, 'thanks mate'.  I yell back at him (remember - adrenaline - normal volume wasn't an option) - 'hey man, you gotta get that bleeding arm taken care of!  I'll drive you to the emergency room!'  He yells back 'no, thanks mate, I'll take care of it!'  I yell again 'let's go to the hospital!'  He yells 'thanks mate' then picks up the boxer, literally chucks the dog into the trunk/boot, slams it close, slams the back doors close, gets behind the wheel and screeches off down the street at breakneck speed.  And leaves me standing in the middle of the street, with my earphones laying on the ground and with his blood drying on my hands.  Suffice it to say - that was NOT my normal Sunday afternoon run.

Ordination - Miguel

Here's the service from our home church where Miguel was ordained as pastor of the CCM Spanish Fellowship. Congrats!

Phamily Elf 80's

And here is a video of Becks and the girls doing their dance...

Phamily Elf Hip Hop

Here is another video we did. Hope you enjoy it...

CC Murrieta Spanish Fellowship

During the year that we lived in the USA, between leaving Germany and coming to New Zealand, I had the privilege of serving as pastor of the Spanish Fellowship at our home church - Calvary Murrieta.   It was a special time that we had with the Spanish Fellowship - we were able to help them during the time that they didn't have a pastor, but more importantly (for us at least), they were one of the reasons that helped us get through the re-entry stress of coming back to our home culture after over a decade in Europe.  They accepted us into their fellowship and really made us feel at home.

And during that time as their leader, we got to know Miguel and Elva and their 5 wonderful kids.  Miguel is a true servant of God - he was always ready to do whatever I asked, like wash my car, do our laundry, cook, etc.  (just kidding!).  But truly Miguel was a humble man who was ready to serve in any capacity - from cooking at potlucks, to setting up tables to teaching to translating.  He was basically my right-hand man!

And it makes me so proud of him and his family that our home church ordained him this past weekend!  That they saw Jesus working in and through him and simply recognized that.  So from the Phamily to Miguel, Elva and the kiddies - we're so proud of you guys!  And are so thankful of all that God is doing in your lives.  And are privileged to have you guys as friends!  Thanks for your friendship, prayer and support!

Here's a video of the ordination in the Spanish Fellowship.  Miguel will also be presented before the main body at CCM next weekend.

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Another Phamily Disco...

Here's another video that Becks and I did. We were groovin' to the tunes!

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Phamily Christmas Disco

Since it's only a few weeks (AHHH!!!) to Christmas, the kids and I put together this little dance video to get us all into the holiday spirit. Ahhh, doesn't it bring back memories for some of you?!

Enjoy...

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Calvary Wellington 'P' Party

As part of our efforts to get to know one another better, we have had some 'fellowship nights' where we come together to just have fun.  A couple months ago, we had a Quiz Night, which is pretty popular here in NZ.  That was great fun as we broke up into tea, competing with one another to see who could get the most correct answers to some very outlandish quiz questions.

Then this past week, we had a CCW church 'P' party which included games that start with the letter 'p' and a potluck with foods that start with 'p' and the highlight - we were to dress up in costumes that start with 'p'!  We had painters and pilots and pop stars and pirates and many others.  Below is a slide-show of the evening.  Enjoy!

PS - if you are not a Star Wars - Clone Wars fan, you might not get what Jesaiah dressed up as (I didn't!).  It's a character called Plo Koon.  Kids, these days!

PPS - Oh, and if you can't tell what Dariah is dressed up as, let me help. She couldn't make up her mind so she went as a pirate-platoon sergeant-police girl. Got it?! It was supposed to be pirate-princess-police girl. ;-)

Angel Tree

Christmas time is always a great opportunity to reach out and to bless others with the love of Jesus.  We as a fellowship will be getting behind Angel Tree Project from Prison Fellowship New Zealand.  It is a great chance to practice what the Bible teaches us...

Remember the prisoners as if chained with them...
since you yourselves are in the body also.

Hebrews 13:3

Here is a quote and video from the Prison Fellowship website for NZ - www.pfnz.org.nz.

Angel Tree is a Prison Fellowship Program that provides Christmas toys to prisoners’ children who might otherwise be overlooked during the Christmas Season. When mothers and fathers are behind bars, their children also do hard time.

While Prison Fellowship coordinates the program, it is very much a combined effort.  Prison chaplains, Christian volunteers, churches, ministry and social service organisations come together to purchase, wrap and deliver over 3000 presents each Christmas to the children of prisoners.

By every measure, prisoners’ children are the most severely at-risk children and youth in New Zealand. They are at a greater risk than other children from child abuse, neglect, illiteracy, crime, violence, incarceration, teen pregnancy, depression, premature death and substance addiction.

We sometimes don’t appreciate that these children are the unwilling victims of crime.  Our efforts go some  way toward linking children with their imprisoned parents.  International  research shows that where imprisoned parents can maintain a link with their children, the children are more likely to respond positively to school and to their parents, and less likely to offend or truant.”

But the positive impact is felt more widely than that.  Prisoners who have neither the money nor mobility to provide Christmas presents, often feel helplessly frustrated when they think of their children during this time.  That in turn can result in anti-social behaviour, withdrawal, and depression.  It provides a crucial link between children and their imprisoned parents.

Check with your local fellowship to see if they are taking part in this awesome outreach and ministry.  And check out this video...

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Monkey See, Monkey Do...

Just recently, our 10 year-old said he has committed to reading through the Bible.  He's starting in Genesis and going through.  And our 8 year-old said she is reading through Revelation every morning.  And that without us telling them to or saying much about it at all - except to say that all Christians should read their Bible.  I think the most telling words from our 8 year old - 'I don't see Daddy reading anything except the Bible!'  She doesn't see me when I am reading commentaries or the news websites or facebook or emails, etc.  All of my 'books' are pretty much digital - except for my Bible.  So obviously that is all she sees.

But that aside, they see me reading my Bible so that is what they do also!  Isn't that the way our faith should be - caught as well as taught?!?

For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit and in much assurance, as you know what kind of men we were among you for your sake.  And you became followers of us and of the Lord, having received the word in much affliction, with joy of the Holy Spirit, so that YOU BECAME EXAMPLES to all in Macedonia and Achaia who believe.

1 Thess 1:5-7 (my emphasis)

Paul writes in 1Cor 11.1 - imitate me as I imitate Christ.  I guess that is what it's all about - following an example and being an example.  Are you an example?  What type of example? (believe me, I also have some bad habits that I don't want my kids to pick up!)

Pray For The Persecuted Church

Sunday, November 7th is International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church.  Please everyone, take some time on that day (at the very least) and pray for our brothers and sisters all over the world who are persecuted for their faith in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Apostle Paul, talking about how we are all members of the Body of Christ, writes in 1Cor 12.26...

And if one member [of the Body] suffers,
all the members [of the Body] suffer with it....
Now you are the Body of Christ, and members individually.

So let's stand together with our brothers and sisters in prayer.  We as a fellowship at Calvary Wellington will set aside lunchtime on 7.Nov to pray for persecuted believers.  But let us all be challenged to pray - not just on Nov. 7, but let's remember them throughout the year and be praying for them constantly.

Here's a short video from the IDOP website that gives a few personal testimonies of those who are persecuted.  You can also go to www.idop.org.nz and download this video, the prayer resources and spread the news!  And be praying for the Body of Christ!

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Burma's IDP (Part 2)

Here's another video of what is happening in Burma.  You can also check out www.partnersworld.org.nz for more info and how to help.

Burma's IDP

Please be praying for my pastor from SoCal - he is hiking 3 days into the jungles of Thailand & Burma to teach God's Word and share His love with the refugees at their hidden camps. Below is a video from Partners Relief (Christian organization that is trying to help the Internally Displaced People - IDP of Burma). It tells a bit of the story of what has been happening in Burma for over 50 years!

Operation Christmas Child

This past week, we got our kids some shoe-boxes so that they could take part in the Operation Christmas Child.  For those who don't know what that is - it is an outreach of Samaritan's Purse (click here to go to their website) that brings the unconditional love of God to needy children in Third World countries by giving them a shoe-box full of gifts.

This is the first year that our kids did it individually and it was quite moving.  We received from Samaritan's Purse a DVD detailing the outreach and as we watched a few clips of children receiving their shoe-boxes, you could see it impacting our kids, especially the two older ones - they had tears in their eyes, but were trying hard not to show it.  Afterwards, we talked about how blessed we are that we have such abundance.  And how some children have nothing and this shoebox might be the only present they receive their whole life!

In any case, we went out the next day after school and the kids were able to buy small gifts to put in their shoe-boxes.  And get this, they used their own money to buy everything.  The two older kids wanted to do 2 boxes each - one for a boy and one for a girl.  Sweet.  And the church is doing it too - it's a great outreach.  Think - an hour out of your week (even year) and you could bless a child for a lifetime!

The Lost Art Of Waiting On The Lord (Part 4)

The past few days has seen some mighty powerful winds in the Wellington region, with gusts up to 60-80 km per hour - the strong nor'westerlies.  I was watching some of the birds, especially the seagulls down by the stop-bank the other day, just heading into the wind, using the wind to just effortlessly glide through the air and to seemingly 'float' in mid-air.

It reminds me of that passage in Isaiah 40.31 that we looked at in the previous post...

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

That is exactly what the eagle does as he soars through the air.  See, instead of turning and flying away from the wind, instead of lamenting the strong gusty winds, the eagle faces into the wind and uses it to climb ever higher and higher.  And as it rises above the earth and closer to the Sun, it gains a totally different perspective and scope on life on earth.

And that is what happens to us spiritually as we wait upon the Lord.  Instead of turning and running away FROM the contrary winds in our lives, let us turn INTO them as we wait upon the Lord to renew our strength.  I know many who are at this very moment struggling through some pretty fierce headwinds - in careers, family relationships and marriages, major health issues and all I can do is encourage them to turn into those contrary winds and allow God to use the winds to lift them above the trying life situations they face at the moment.  And as they soar higher and higher and come closer and closer to the SON, they will gain a new perspective and scope on life on earth.  And especially their immediate life situation.

So as we wait upon the Lord, our strength will be renewed - in fact the word 'renew' in the verse above means to 'change or exchange', like taking off old clothes and exchanging them for new clothes.  In context here, it means that as we wait upon God, we 'exchange' our weakness for His strength.  We take off our frail, inadequate and limited strength and we exchange it for God's all-sufficient, unlimited and life-changing power and strength.  Strength to soar like eagles.  Strength to run the race and not be weary.  Strength to walk by faith and not faint.  Strength for whatever life circumstances we find ourselves in - whether it be cancer or loss of income or family problems or persecution.

So are you burdened with life?  Tired, discouraged, hopeless?  Wait upon the Lord, renew and exchange your weakness for His strength.  Give Him your burdens and exchange them for His rest.  And soar like eagles.

Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

Matthew 11:28-30

PS - to those under great burdens at the moment (you know who you are), we love you and are praying for you.

The Lost Art Of Waiting On The Lord (Part 3)

When we talk about waiting on the Lord, there is a passage that comes automatically to our minds - Isaiah 40.31…

But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Did you know that the word ‘wait’ here has as its root, a word that means to bind together by twisting together?  In fact, the Hebrew word here - ‘qavah’ is the most common word that is translated ‘wait’ in the OT.  It has the idea of twisting strands of a rope together, to make it stronger.  Isn’t that what waiting on the Lord really means?  We are so bound up in God and His purpose and plan that the things of the world fade away.  In fact, all the words in the OT translated ‘wait’ has the focus on our daily walk and waiting on the Lord and trusting Him in the pressures of daily life.

And let's admit it, we all go through seasons in our lives that threaten to drag us down, to hold us back, to discourage us from waiting upon the Lord, from trusting Him.  It is in these very moments that we NEED to be bound up in Him!  Rather than run away, we need to run to the Lord to receive the strength to meet these circumstances head on (like the eagle turning into the wind - we'll look at that next time).  I love what Solomon says in Ecclesiastes 4.10-12 -

For if they fall, one will lift up his companion.
But woe to him who is alone when he falls,
For he has no one to help him up.
Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm;
But how can one be warm alone? 
Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him.
And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

We pastors often use this passage in wedding ceremonies and vows, but it applies to every aspect of life.  When life is tough, when we are ready to fall down from weariness, when our enemy has battered us down, when all around us are storms and it's cold and dark, we need to be like that threefold cord - twisted together with the Lord for strength.

Can God use other believers to encourage us and lift us up?  Absolutely!  But it is a THREEfold cord that is not quickly broken.  Me, you and the Lord.  Or you, a bro / sis and the Lord.  The point is we need to be bound up in the Lord, twisted together with Him - that is the idea of waiting on the Lord.  We wait on Him for strength for daily life, not just in emergencies.  So are we waiting on the Lord?  Are we bound up in Him?

The Lost Art Of Waiting On The Lord (Part 2)

Have you ever considered that part of waiting on the Lord is being content in the Lord?  That’s another principle that we don’t like to really practice in our lives, right?  I know I don’t!

I like how one person (can’t remember who) defined contentment - ‘wanting what you already have’.  That’s great isn’t it?  And so very true!  So often we don’t wait on the Lord because we are not truly content in Him.  We are wanting something we don’t have yet, rather than being content with the Lord, His plan, purposes or provision.

We see an example of this with the children of Israel in the desert.  The psalmist in Ps 106.13-14 describes it so…

They soon forgot His works;
they did not wait for His counsel,
but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness,
and tested God in the desert.

See what was happening?  They were lusting exceedingly!  Why?  Because they forgot God and His works and were not waiting on the Lord.  They did not wait for His counsel - here meaning His purposes, plan and also His promises of provision.

So instead of waiting on the Lord and being content with His plan and purpose, they lusted after what they did not have.  Remember, God provided manna and water for them while they were in the desert.  But they wanted the leeks, onions, garlic and meat of Egypt (Num 11).  They were not content with God but lusted after the things of the world.

By their discontent and unbelief they were testing God and basically saying

1. God is not enough for them


2. God is not enough for the trials they were facing


3. God doesn’t care about their trials


4. God doesn’t know what He is doing.

But don't we do the same thing in our lives?  When we are in the desert of testing, when we are in the wilderness of trial - don't we tend to forgot God, forget His purpose and plan for us?  And we turn to the world because we think the world can give us what God can't.  Really?  What can the world offer that is better than God?  Yet, we in our fallen humanity are more willing to reach out to the world than to take the Hand of God and say 'Lord, lead me, guide me, I trust you, I wait for your counsel'.

What trials, temptations, adversity, hardship do you face at this moment?  Can you trust God?  Can you be content that He is working in that situation?  Are you content in God alone?  Can you wait upon Him?  Or do you lust exceedingly for the things and ways of the world?

Phamily Day at the Wellington Zoo

This past Monday we enjoyed a nice Wellington spring day at the City Zoo.  It was a good Phamily outing - we all got to see our first kiwi in person.  Obviously it wasn't in the wild, but hey, most Kiwis (the human ones) haven't seen a kiwi (the bird) in the wild.  The one we saw was very special - it was a one-legged kiwi named Tahi.

Tahi unfortunately lost one of his legs in a possum trap.  The zoo then became his new home and he is now an ambassador for the endemic kiwi bird (just in case you didn't know, endemic means 'exclusively native to a certain area / region / country'.  I learned that at the zoo!).  Interesting fact about Tahi - Weta Workshop (the special effects studio that did the Lord of the Rings and Avatar movies, among others) even designed the world's first kiwi prosthetic leg for Tahi.  But by the time the prosthetic leg was completed, Tahi had already learned to get around on one leg by hopping.

Check out the video and fotos of Tahi and his prosthetic...

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The Lost Art of Waiting On The Lord (Part 1)

Have you ever had to wait for something?  It’s not easy is it?!  We are so used to getting things immediately.  Think about it, we live in an ‘instant’ world.  We boil our water in electric water cookers that reduces the boiling time to a minute instead of five.  We pour that boiling water into our cup of instant coffee and presto, instant hot coffee.  We microwave our instant oatmeal.  Or break out the instant pancake batter!

We press one button on our iPhones or smartphones and instantly it’s on - and with a couple swipes of the finger, we instantly have the day’s news, weather, traffic reports.  We check our emails, Facebook, Twitter and instantly know what others are thinking, doing, saying, reading, watching, listening to, eating, drinking, making or where they are going.  We can pick up our iPads (those of you who have one!) and instantly it's on and we can search bing or google and instantly have the answer to virtually any question we can think of.  We have Tivo and Netflix and Hulu and whatever else that gives us instant entertainment.  In our world, we can instantly have all that we are looking for - answers, knowledge, gratification, satisfaction.  Immediately.

And sometimes (perhaps often, at least for me), we want the same from God.  When we pray, we want an instant answer.  When we have to make a decision, we want God’s direction instantly.  We have 1-minute Bibles and devotions because we can't wait and want God to speak to us in that 1 minute.  We have 10 minute sermons for the same reasons.  We have lost the art of waiting on the Lord.

Here are just SOME of the benefits of waiting upon the Lord…

• Waiting gives us time during which we can trust God and allow Him to work.


• Waiting prepares us to have our real needs met (and they are not always what we started praying for!).


• Waiting allows us the chance to work out our faith, to step out in faith.


• Waiting teaches us to deny ourselves and to seek God and His righteousness and His Kingdom.

‘Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage,
And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the LORD!’ - Ps 27.14



‘Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.’ - Ps 33.20



‘Rest in the LORD,
and wait patiently for Him….’ - Ps 37.7a

Next time we'll look a little deeper at what it means to wait upon the Lord.  But for now, consider your daily routine - is there time for God?  Is there time to wait upon Him?  And just that you know, I am just as guilty as the next guy.  So maybe this is more for me.  But I don't think I am alone....

(to be continued...)

International Talk Like A Pirate Day

Well, it's here again.  Tomorrow, the 19th of Sept is International Talk Like A Pirate Day.  In honor of this day, here are a few things you can do to take part.  Enjoy!

• Translate any webpage into pirate speak at Translate-Pirate.  It's hilarious.  I translated our PhamilyNews blog and had a read and was cracking up so much I almost peed my pants!

• Facebook - those of you on FB can change your language to pirate english.  Login and then go to your account settings > language > choose english (pirate) in the list (it's near the middle/bottom, after all the more 'official' languages).

• Google is getting into the fun - check out their pirate language search page - Google search page in pirate

• And of course, you can go to the official Talk Like A Pirate website and get the latest.  They also have a Pirate-English dictionary that will help you understand your pirate friends.  Here's an excerpt...

Ahoy! - "Hello!"

Avast! - Stop and give attention. It can be used in a sense of surprise, "Whoa! Get a load of that!" which today makes it more of a "Check it out" or "No way!" or "Get off!"

Aye! - "Why yes, I agree most heartily with everything you just said or did."

Aye aye! - "I'll get right on that sir, as soon as my break is over."

Arrr! - This one is often confused with arrrgh, which is of course the sound you make when you sit on a belaying pin. "Arrr!" can mean, variously, "yes," "I agree," "I'm happy," "I'm enjoying this beer," "My team is going to win it all," "I saw that television show, it sucked!" and "That was a clever remark you or I just made." And those are just a few of the myriad possibilities of Arrr!

So there you are, take some time and enjoy the day.  And git yer pirattitude on!

Making A Mess To Make Yummy Things

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According to some 'experts', 'you have to make a mess to make yummy things'!   So here is our 3 year old expert, making some yummy things.  Or maybe just making a mess.  You decide.  ;-)

ps - Auntie Doro, we were gonna send you some of the 'mess', I mean bagels, but we ate them all!

Christchurch Earthquake Update

For those who have been asking about the earthquake in Christchurch, here is a quick update. The Calvary down there has been going into the shelters and ministering to people affected by the quake. Just comforting them, sharing with them from God's word and most important, simply listening to the people share about what happened to them. Often that is the best thing to do - simply listen.

They were invited to do a church service at the shelter - mainly worship songs with testimonies from people from the church in between songs. They are not allowed to give a full message/sermon, but the songs and testimonies give the gospel. ;-)



Also they have been able to give out emergency supplies for people to start making an earthquake preparedness kit. We here in Wellington were able to ask around and get several organizations to donate material for the people and the kits. We want to thank Energizer NZ for donating 200 torches (that's flashlights for us Yanks) with batteries; MISH Ltd. for donating 500 glowsticks and Bible Society NZ for 200 NT's and various literature. We are still waiting for a few other organizations to get back to us.

In any case, please pray for the people in the shelters - CC Christchurch was invited to come back this Sunday to do another service. Pray that the seed of the gospel is planted. Pray that people will turn to God, not just during their time of need but even afterwards. Pray that people see their security is only in Jesus.

New Phamily Site

Hi all, just wanted to welcome you all to our new website.  It's under construction still, so this isn't the final look.

At the moment it just consists of our previous blog, which is now hosted here instead of at blogger.com.

In the future we hope to be able to add foto albums and other media.  So be patient and stay tuned....

New Website / Blog

Hi all, we now have a new website - www.phamilynews.net.  At the moment, it consists only of this blog here, but hosted at our new site.  This will be the last post for this blog. 

From now on, you can catch all the Phamily happenings at the new website / blog - www.phamilynews.net.  Thanks and see you over there!

Bravo! Bravo!

Taliah has been taking guitar lessons from school once a week for the last couple of months. The first few weeks she was just getting the fingering and now has started playing tunes and songs. Well, still learning, I should say. But she is picking it up fairly quickly. We started her late and she was way behind the other kids in the class, but has caught up to them in the last 2 months. Here's a short vid of her practicing one of her songs....

ps - uncle Dennis and Ong would be proud of her!

pps - the conversion and compression of the video file made the sound quality horrible. Trust me, it sounds better live.

Bravo! Bravo!

Taliah has been taking guitar lessons from school once a week for the last couple of months. The first few weeks she was just getting the fingering and now has started playing tunes and songs. Well, still learning, I should say. But she is picking it up fairly quickly. We started her late and she was way behind the other kids in the class, but has caught up to them in the last 2 months. Here's a short vid of her practicing one of her songs....

ps - uncle Dennis and Ong would be proud of her!

pps - the conversion and compression of the video file made the sound quality horrible. Trust me, it sounds better live.

Clash!

The Pham girls really need to work on their color matching! On the left is Taliah at about 3 yrs old. She decided to dress herself one day. Notice the colors - pink, blue, orange and green!

And on the right is Dariah, also at age 3 - she also dressed herself. Notice the same colors - green, orange, pink and blue! And notice the gumboots - they both love gumboots (rubber boots).

Hahaha, I love it! Yep, the Pham girls need to take some fashion classes!

WARNING - WARNING
You might want to wear sunglasses to look at these fotos! ;-)

Clash!

The Pham girls really need to work on their color matching! On the left is Taliah at about 3 yrs old. She decided to dress herself one day. Notice the colors - pink, blue, orange and green!

And on the right is Dariah, also at age 3 - she also dressed herself. Notice the same colors - green, orange, pink and blue! And notice the gumboots - they both love gumboots (rubber boots).

Hahaha, I love it! Yep, the Pham girls need to take some fashion classes!

WARNING - WARNING
You might want to wear sunglasses to look at these fotos! ;-)

Bronze Serpent of Numbers 21

Just recently, I have been thinking about the passage in Numbers 21.4-9 where the children of Israel sinned against God by complaining - complained about Moses and God. God then disciplined them and struck them with a plague of serpents that bit the people. They then repent and ask for God's mercy and He tells Moses to make a 'fiery serpent' and put it on a pole. Moses obeys and makes a bronze serpent and mounts it on a pole. Any one who is bitten by a serpent only has to look at the bronze serpent on the pole and be healed and lived.

Have you ever thought about all the symbology that is associated with this serpent on the pole? Here is a list - no particular order, just some random musings...

1. Serpent - symbol of sin, evil, the curse.
2. Bronze - symbolizes judgment, fire - sin, evil judged.
3. Lifted up on a pole - Jesus lifted up on the Cross.
4. Wasn’t placed in the tabernacle - not associated w/ the Law (Ten Commandments in the Holy of Holies).
5. None can make their own bronze serpent but must accept the one made for them - can't make our own way to heaven but must accept God's way - Jesus.
6. Personal; none could be saved by having friend, family, or others look to bronze serpent for them - salvation is personal, no one can do it for you.
7. Those bitten had to look in faith; medically, nothing about a bronze serpent on a pole can heal, but it is simply looking by faith and accepting what God says - salvation is simply by faith, believing God at his Word.
8. Anyone can look - from the young child to the most elderly - salvation is for all.
9. The one thing that killed them became the one thing that saved them - Jesus became sin (the one things that kills us) and through Jesus we are saved.

What a rich illustration of what God did through Jesus at the Cross to secure our salvation! Jesus said in John 3.14-16...

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Bronze Serpent of Numbers 21

Just recently, I have been thinking about the passage in Numbers 21.4-9 where the children of Israel sinned against God by complaining - complained about Moses and God. God then disciplined them and struck them with a plague of serpents that bit the people. They then repent and ask for God's mercy and He tells Moses to make a 'fiery serpent' and put it on a pole. Moses obeys and makes a bronze serpent and mounts it on a pole. Any one who is bitten by a serpent only has to look at the bronze serpent on the pole and be healed and lived.

Have you ever thought about all the symbology that is associated with this serpent on the pole? Here is a list - no particular order, just some random musings...

1. Serpent - symbol of sin, evil, the curse.
2. Bronze - symbolizes judgment, fire - sin, evil judged.
3. Lifted up on a pole - Jesus lifted up on the Cross.
4. Wasn’t placed in the tabernacle - not associated w/ the Law (Ten Commandments in the Holy of Holies).
5. None can make their own bronze serpent but must accept the one made for them - can't make our own way to heaven but must accept God's way - Jesus.
6. Personal; none could be saved by having friend, family, or others look to bronze serpent for them - salvation is personal, no one can do it for you.
7. Those bitten had to look in faith; medically, nothing about a bronze serpent on a pole can heal, but it is simply looking by faith and accepting what God says - salvation is simply by faith, believing God at his Word.
8. Anyone can look - from the young child to the most elderly - salvation is for all.
9. The one thing that killed them became the one thing that saved them - Jesus became sin (the one things that kills us) and through Jesus we are saved.

What a rich illustration of what God did through Jesus at the Cross to secure our salvation! Jesus said in John 3.14-16...

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Phamily Road-Trip - pt.2

Here are a few more fotos from the road-trip. We took a little day trip to the Kauri Forest and then the Whangarei Falls...

(again, just click on the foto to see it full size)

Phamily Road-Trip - pt.2

Here are a few more fotos from the road-trip. We took a little day trip to the Kauri Forest and then the Whangarei Falls...

(again, just click on the foto to see it full size)

Phamily Road-Trip - July 2010

Here are a few pics from our road trip to Northern NZ a couple weeks ago. This was at a local beach in the Whangarei area. The kids had sooo much fun collecting seashells and just running up and down the beach. It was pretty cold (remember it's winter here) but they did go in the water - at least up to their thighs. (I think you can click on the foto below to see it full-size).

 

Phamily Road-Trip - July 2010

Here are a few pics from our road trip to Northern NZ a couple weeks ago. This was at a local beach in the Whangarei area. The kids had sooo much fun collecting seashells and just running up and down the beach. It was pretty cold (remember it's winter here) but they did go in the water - at least up to their thighs. (I think you can click on the foto below to see it full-size).

 

FAQ - World's Largest Gummi Bear

Here's the follow-up video to the World's Largest Gummi Bear (see previous post below). FAQ - you asked, they answered, sort of...

World's Largest Gummi Bear

Those who know me know that I love Gummi Bears. Well, this video makes my mouth water! And my blood sugar level spike just watching it! Seriously, this 5 lb Gummi Bear is equal to 1,400 (yes, 1,400) normal sized ones. And guess how many calories - 12,600!!!! That's like a week of calories for the average person!

FAQ - World's Largest Gummi Bear

Here's the follow-up video to the World's Largest Gummi Bear (see previous post below). FAQ - you asked, they answered, sort of...

World's Largest Gummi Bear

Those who know me know that I love Gummi Bears. Well, this video makes my mouth water! And my blood sugar level spike just watching it! Seriously, this 5 lb Gummi Bear is equal to 1,400 (yes, 1,400) normal sized ones. And guess how many calories - 12,600!!!! That's like a week of calories for the average person!

Fear

Why is it that we humans like to be scared, startled and frightened? I was playing hide-and-seek with the kids last night and they thought is was great fun for Daddy to hide in the dark somewhere and then pop out when they get close and yell 'ahhhhh'. Then they would all jump and scream and run and laugh and we would do it all over again! Literally for hours on end!

Or why is it that we like thrilling, suspenseful movies or books - where you are on the edge of your seat the whole time, your heart beating at 150 bpm with your hands covering your face. And the music that goes with those movies - you know the music which intensifies that suspense and fear and anticipation. And we love it! Just waiting in anticipation for that boogey-man or space alien to pop out of the woodwork so we can scream and laugh and pay $10-$15 to do it again next time!

We love the fear, the anticipation, the adrenaline. But why is it that we don't behave in the same way when it comes to God? Why don't we fear God more, respect Him more, be more in awe of Him? The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov 1.7 - of course this is a slightly different 'fear' but nonetheless...). Or why doesn't the anticipation of Jesus' return keep us on the edge of our seats more? Or why doesn't the thought of heaven and being in God's presence for all eternity excite us more like it should?

Perhaps it is because we are too grown up? Maybe our faith should be like a child's? Oh well, I still enjoy a good suspenseful movie or book that keeps me on the edge of my seat. But I know I enjoy the 'real action' more. The one that has a happy ending. One which we already know...

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Rev 22.1-5

Fear

Why is it that we humans like to be scared, startled and frightened? I was playing hide-and-seek with the kids last night and they thought is was great fun for Daddy to hide in the dark somewhere and then pop out when they get close and yell 'ahhhhh'. Then they would all jump and scream and run and laugh and we would do it all over again! Literally for hours on end!

Or why is it that we like thrilling, suspenseful movies or books - where you are on the edge of your seat the whole time, your heart beating at 150 bpm with your hands covering your face. And the music that goes with those movies - you know the music which intensifies that suspense and fear and anticipation. And we love it! Just waiting in anticipation for that boogey-man or space alien to pop out of the woodwork so we can scream and laugh and pay $10-$15 to do it again next time!

We love the fear, the anticipation, the adrenaline. But why is it that we don't behave in the same way when it comes to God? Why don't we fear God more, respect Him more, be more in awe of Him? The Bible says that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge (Prov 1.7 - of course this is a slightly different 'fear' but nonetheless...). Or why doesn't the anticipation of Jesus' return keep us on the edge of our seats more? Or why doesn't the thought of heaven and being in God's presence for all eternity excite us more like it should?

Perhaps it is because we are too grown up? Maybe our faith should be like a child's? Oh well, I still enjoy a good suspenseful movie or book that keeps me on the edge of my seat. But I know I enjoy the 'real action' more. The one that has a happy ending. One which we already know...

And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever. Rev 22.1-5

oops

So apparently I missed a lesson in 'sewing 101'...it has been lovingly pointed out that Dariah's pattern is up-side down. I didn't notice it until I put them on her! So I will be paying closer attention next time I cut fabric! Thanks to those who looked that close (dad and J)!! :)

Cozy PJ's

I found some polar fleece material on sale shortly after getting here so I went ahead and got enough to make PJs for the kids. When my sewing machine finally arrived I got to work!

It was a really simple pattern and each pair only took me about 4 hours total...minus any interuptions, of which there are always many :)!

These jammies are so warm that the kids don't have to double up on the pjs any more. They still need under shirts because the neck lines are too big, but I wanted to leave them room to grow!

Thanks Linda for teaching me how to sew! I love doing it!

oops

So apparently I missed a lesson in 'sewing 101'...it has been lovingly pointed out that Dariah's pattern is up-side down. I didn't notice it until I put them on her! So I will be paying closer attention next time I cut fabric! Thanks to those who looked that close (dad and J)!! :)

Cozy PJ's

I found some polar fleece material on sale shortly after getting here so I went ahead and got enough to make PJs for the kids. When my sewing machine finally arrived I got to work!

It was a really simple pattern and each pair only took me about 4 hours total...minus any interuptions, of which there are always many :)!

These jammies are so warm that the kids don't have to double up on the pjs any more. They still need under shirts because the neck lines are too big, but I wanted to leave them room to grow!

Thanks Linda for teaching me how to sew! I love doing it!

A Jealous God?

‘For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.’ Deut 4.24

‘…for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God…’ Ex 34.14

Have you ever wondered - why is God (who is all good) a jealous God? When we think of jealousy, we usually think in the negative. For example we see in the movies that when a girl’s boyfriend talks to another girl, the girlfriend gets jealous.

So how can the Bible say that God is a jealous God? And even to go so far as to say that God’s name is Jealous!! The answer lies in the fact that there is a good jealousy. For instance, it is bad when a husband is jealous of his wife when she speaks to another man in a neutral, platonic manner. That harms the relationship; it gives the wife no freedom.

But there is also a good jealousy - the husband can expect his wife to treat him and only him as her husband (and vice versa). It is a unique relationship only allowed between them. Nothing and no one should come between them.

In a similar way, we can see how God can be a jealous God. He is jealous for us when we start treating anything or anyone else as ‘god’. It is a relationship that should only exist between us (the Bride) and Jesus (the Groom). That is the reason behind the passages that speak of God as a jealous God - Israel was worshiping other gods. It was idolatry!

And what about us? In what ways have we let things, situations or people take the place of the One and Only True God? What has become our ‘god’? Money, success, career? Relationships, family, spouse? Gifts, abilities? Ministry, vision? God is a jealous God - He wants us alone!

‘For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.’
2 Cor 11.2-4

A Jealous God?

‘For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.’ Deut 4.24

‘…for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God…’ Ex 34.14

Have you ever wondered - why is God (who is all good) a jealous God? When we think of jealousy, we usually think in the negative. For example we see in the movies that when a girl’s boyfriend talks to another girl, the girlfriend gets jealous.

So how can the Bible say that God is a jealous God? And even to go so far as to say that God’s name is Jealous!! The answer lies in the fact that there is a good jealousy. For instance, it is bad when a husband is jealous of his wife when she speaks to another man in a neutral, platonic manner. That harms the relationship; it gives the wife no freedom.

But there is also a good jealousy - the husband can expect his wife to treat him and only him as her husband (and vice versa). It is a unique relationship only allowed between them. Nothing and no one should come between them.

In a similar way, we can see how God can be a jealous God. He is jealous for us when we start treating anything or anyone else as ‘god’. It is a relationship that should only exist between us (the Bride) and Jesus (the Groom). That is the reason behind the passages that speak of God as a jealous God - Israel was worshiping other gods. It was idolatry!

And what about us? In what ways have we let things, situations or people take the place of the One and Only True God? What has become our ‘god’? Money, success, career? Relationships, family, spouse? Gifts, abilities? Ministry, vision? God is a jealous God - He wants us alone!

‘For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.’
2 Cor 11.2-4

Seek and Ye Shall Find...

A few weeks ago, I had to go into the bank here in town to get myself added to the church checking account. The manager who helped me with all the paperwork and stuff was extremely nice, taking time out of her busy day to make sure I understood everything and got it all sorted out. During the whole process, we were chatting about why I was here - to pastor a fellowship in the city.

Then out of the blue, she asked me 'have you ever had a time when you doubted? And were searching for an answer?' I told her yes, of course, there was a time early in my Christian walk that I doubted. She then asked 'how did you get through that time? What kept you going?' I was able to explain to her that it was really Jesus and His Word that kept me going through that time. During that time of doubt and uncertainty, I read my Bible a lot and kept my thoughts and focus on Jesus. Her comment - 'I guess that works if you believe the Bible'. Yes, it does! I was able to explain to her a bit more about my faith and the Bible before we finished with all the paperwork and I had to leave.

Yesterday, I went back in to thank her again for her help and also give her a book that ministered to me during that time - Josh McDowell's More Than A Carpenter. I also told her to call me if she has any questions about the book or about faith or Christianity, and that she can come visit us at church (she lives just down the street from where we meet on Sundays).

So please pray for her to find her answer in Jesus. Pray that God will use the book to touch her heart. I plan on going back in a couple weeks to visit her and see how she's getting on with the book. Anyways, please pray for more divine appointments like this!

Seek and Ye Shall Find...

A few weeks ago, I had to go into the bank here in town to get myself added to the church checking account. The manager who helped me with all the paperwork and stuff was extremely nice, taking time out of her busy day to make sure I understood everything and got it all sorted out. During the whole process, we were chatting about why I was here - to pastor a fellowship in the city.

Then out of the blue, she asked me 'have you ever had a time when you doubted? And were searching for an answer?' I told her yes, of course, there was a time early in my Christian walk that I doubted. She then asked 'how did you get through that time? What kept you going?' I was able to explain to her that it was really Jesus and His Word that kept me going through that time. During that time of doubt and uncertainty, I read my Bible a lot and kept my thoughts and focus on Jesus. Her comment - 'I guess that works if you believe the Bible'. Yes, it does! I was able to explain to her a bit more about my faith and the Bible before we finished with all the paperwork and I had to leave.

Yesterday, I went back in to thank her again for her help and also give her a book that ministered to me during that time - Josh McDowell's More Than A Carpenter. I also told her to call me if she has any questions about the book or about faith or Christianity, and that she can come visit us at church (she lives just down the street from where we meet on Sundays).

So please pray for her to find her answer in Jesus. Pray that God will use the book to touch her heart. I plan on going back in a couple weeks to visit her and see how she's getting on with the book. Anyways, please pray for more divine appointments like this!

Are You Rejoicing In The Lord?

This last Thurs I picked up our tubs/bins from the shipping company’s warehouse in Lower Hutt. These were the tubs we had sent from the USA and contained books, toys, clothes and kitchen stuff. After getting it home, we began to unpack and it was like Christmas all over again! You could hear the kids exclaiming - ohh, ahh, I forgot we packed that. Oh, I haven’t seen that in such a long time!

In actuality, it only has been less than 5 months - but I guess from a kid’s perspective, 5 months is a significant portion of their young lives! And it was so hard to keep them from trying to get into every tub/bin! And so they ran around the house playing with their ‘new’ toys and books and stuffed animals. We had dinner with a family from church that night and one of the first things out of their mouths was - ‘we got our boxes, finally!’ They were so excited they couldn’t help but tell others about it!

But as they (well, I guess WE all) were exclaiming our joy and excitement, it made me think - when was the last time I felt like this about spiritual things? (Ouch, that hurt Lord.) When was the last time I was exclaiming excitedly over a passage of the Bible that spoke to my heart? When was the last time I was sooo happy to comprehend that I had infinite spiritual blessings?

When was the last time I couldn’t wait to open the Bible to see what God had ‘packed’ inside? When was the last time I was so excited to use the spiritual truths that I had learned? When was the last time I exclaimed with joy about knowing God and couldn’t help but tell others about Him?

Now don’t get me wrong - excitement and emotion isn’t everything in the Christian life. But can’t it be said that we as ‘more mature’ believers have lost some of that freshness and excitement? I know I have in some areas.

‘Restore to me the joy of Your salvation’ - Ps 51.12
‘Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!’ - Philp 4.4

Are You Rejoicing In The Lord?

This last Thurs I picked up our tubs/bins from the shipping company’s warehouse in Lower Hutt. These were the tubs we had sent from the USA and contained books, toys, clothes and kitchen stuff. After getting it home, we began to unpack and it was like Christmas all over again! You could hear the kids exclaiming - ohh, ahh, I forgot we packed that. Oh, I haven’t seen that in such a long time!

In actuality, it only has been less than 5 months - but I guess from a kid’s perspective, 5 months is a significant portion of their young lives! And it was so hard to keep them from trying to get into every tub/bin! And so they ran around the house playing with their ‘new’ toys and books and stuffed animals. We had dinner with a family from church that night and one of the first things out of their mouths was - ‘we got our boxes, finally!’ They were so excited they couldn’t help but tell others about it!

But as they (well, I guess WE all) were exclaiming our joy and excitement, it made me think - when was the last time I felt like this about spiritual things? (Ouch, that hurt Lord.) When was the last time I was exclaiming excitedly over a passage of the Bible that spoke to my heart? When was the last time I was sooo happy to comprehend that I had infinite spiritual blessings?

When was the last time I couldn’t wait to open the Bible to see what God had ‘packed’ inside? When was the last time I was so excited to use the spiritual truths that I had learned? When was the last time I exclaimed with joy about knowing God and couldn’t help but tell others about Him?

Now don’t get me wrong - excitement and emotion isn’t everything in the Christian life. But can’t it be said that we as ‘more mature’ believers have lost some of that freshness and excitement? I know I have in some areas.

‘Restore to me the joy of Your salvation’ - Ps 51.12
‘Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I say, rejoice!’ - Philp 4.4

Field Trip

The kids have each had at least one field trip with school so far this year. Both of the older kids went to an art exhibit of sculptures set up in the Civic Gardens here in Lower Hutt. They enjoyed it so much that they asked to go back, so I took all four kids one afternoon before the exhibit left. When they went with their classes they only got to see a few of the sculptures so we spent more time and looked at everything. There were some really cool ones. All of them were made by New Zealand artists. It is my understanding that they do this this exhibit, with different sculptures of course, every year. It is
called 'Shapeshifters' and it is designed to be an outdoor exhibit. I will share a few of our favourites here...

This is a Norfolk Pine and the star is how the branches grow on the inside... pretty cool!

I believe this one was called 'peace'. It's hard to tell in this picture, but she is holding a dove. The sculpture is made of terra cotta.

This is a fern leaf made with plastic stretched back and forth over the grass. The fern is New Zealand's national symbol.

These were little glass flowers.

These were big glass flowers. Notice the caterpillar, also glass...

There were many more, too many to post here...